What is Phantom IL? Understanding how it's different from regular IL amid investigation of former Mets GM Billy Eppler

The sudden resignation of New York Mets GM Billy Eppler had raised questions. It followed closely after the team parted ways with former manager Buck Showalter.

On Thursday night, the Mets confirmed that Billy Eppler had chosen to step down as their GM.

“I wanted David [Stearns] to have a clean slate and that meant me stepping down”, Eppler said in a statement.

Initially, fans believed Eppler stepped down to provide David Stearns, the Mets' new President of Baseball Operations, with a fresh start. Yet, a recent MLB investigation into Eppler has added a new dynamic to the narrative.

Former Mets' GM Billy Eppler is under investigation by MLB authorities for potential misuse of the injured list (IL). This has been termed as the 'phantom IL.'

Teams have often been known to fabricate player injuries, allowing for roster flexibility. Putting a player on the phantom IL is essentially a practice of placing players on the IL without genuine injuries.

This provides teams a way to temporarily handle veteran players who do not have minor league options. The practice, common about two decades ago, has since seen a decrease due to stringent oversight by MLB.

When placed on the 'phantom IL,' players receive their major league salaries, and maintain their place on the team's 40-man roster. Simultaneously, teams benefit by managing potential roster challenges.

Billy Eppler under scrutiny for alleged use of 'phantom IL'

The 2023 season posed significant challenges for the Mets. Injury woes and a poor June performance forced a change in the team's strategy.

Significant trades were made by the Mets, including moving aces Max Scherzer to the Rangers and Justin Verlander back to the Astros. In September, the Mets were eliminated from the playoffs. In the midst of all this, came another shocker: the 'phantom IL' investigation.

For the 2023 season, the Mets placed players on the IL 28 times, ranking them 16th among MLB teams. The authenticity of these placements under the supervision of Billy Eppler is now being scrutinized. The exact reason which prompted such investigation remains undisclosed.

While the MLB has investigated phantom IL placements in the past, the specific repercussions from these probes remain uncertain. Only time will tell if Eppler indeed utilized the 'phantom IL.'